Table 1 The supernatural characters of sacred trees
From: The supernatural characters and powers of sacred trees in the Holy Land
Character | Druze (n = 27) | Arabs (n = 24) | Bedouin (n = 34) | References from the Middle East | References from other regions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. The tree is the abode of the soul of a righteous person | 0 | 83.3 | 88.2 | [Palestine (40:15); (42: passim)]. | Â |
2. Unusual lights/voices appear around the tree | 22.2 | 20.0 | 11.7 | Â | Â |
3. The tree is not burned | 22.2 | 12.5 | 17.6 | [Ancient Semites (61:1930); Palestine (87:66), (167:1860),(400:73); Arabia (15:215)] | [Ireland (20:38); Morocco (26:142); Japan (25:35)] |
4. Miracles related to the tree | 22.2 | 20.8 | 11.7 | Â | [Estonia (18:23); Ireland (20:32,35,41); India (90:220),(168:294)] |
5. The tree bleeds when injured/cut | 22.2 | 0 | 5.8 | [Israel, Bedouin (68:89–90); Iraq, Mandeans, (169:348)]; | [Rome (39: 738–878); Morocco (52:78); Cameroon (170:82); India (171:40), (156:66)]. |
6. The tree has unusual dimensions | 0 | 11.1 | 0 | Persia (Williams-Jackson, 1965 172:263) | Japan (24:339)] |
7. The tree has unusual/miraculous fruit/leaves | 18.4 | 11.1 | 0 |  | [Ireland (20:18–20); Central Asia (89:350)] |
8. sacred tree is not eaten by locust | 0 | 11.1 | 0 | [Palestine (40:36)] | Â |
9. Trees as oracles | 0 | 0 | 0 | [Ancient Semites (61:195), (73:78); Arabia (74, II:209)] | [Ancient Greece (72:passim), (17: passim), (50:58); Rome (50:59), (27:274)] |